Air Canada CEO Rousseau to Retire After LaGuardia Crash Response

TORONTO — Air Canada CEO Michael Rousseau announced his retirement Monday, effective by the end of third quarter 2026, following significant backlash over an English-only condolence video released after a fatal crash at New York's LaGuardia Airport.

An Air Canada Jazz flight crashed at LaGuardia Airport, killing two pilots, including Antoine Forest from Quebec. Rousseau's four-minute condolence video delivered almost entirely in English drew swift condemnation from Quebec Premier François Legault, who called for his resignation, and Prime Minister Mark Carney, who called it a "lack of judgment" and "lack of compassion."

The controversy comes at a delicate political moment, with Carney's Liberals holding a minority government facing three special elections. Air Canada's board emphasized that succession planning has been underway for more than two years, with a global external search launched in January 2026. Rousseau will remain available to support the transition. Canada has two official languages, with approximately 22% of the population considering French their first language.